Franking systems or postage meters are generally used as stand-alone devices or are attached to moderate speed mail inserters in order to print postage indicia on an envelope. Limiting factors for high speed franking include the time needed to obtain a postage allocation from the postal security device (PSD) and to generate the printer commands. Postage meters are generally not used on high speed mail sorters that have transport belt speeds of 120 to 165 inches per second (ips) or greater due to the postage meter processing speed restrictions. Postage meter indiums require 300 dots per inch (DPI) or greater print resolution which cannot be achieved by cartridge printers at the transport speed utilized in a high throughput sorter.
Hence a need exists for assemblies, systems, and methods for applying postage indicia to one or more mailpiece on a high speed mail sorter, such that indicia may be printed on envelopes at high rates, such as rates exceeding 13 mailpieces per second.